The Obama Administration seems to be on board with a resumption of the conflict, as they were never really particularly supportive of the Russia-brokered deal. US General Philip Breedlove warned the maintenance of the ceasefire risked it becoming a “frozen conflict” and that the US prefers a resolution.

NATO continues to blame Russia for the conflict, and is once again hyping Russian troops “near” Ukraine’s border, though there seems to be no doubt that if the fighting resumes, it will be the Ukrainian military, not the rebels, firing the first shots.

What our dear dictator most forceful General really means is a forced resolution, which is the only thing a military can accomplish. Nothing but a temporary resolution that makes a permanent resolution all but impossible.

For only a popular Revolution by an organized majority, only they can achieve a resolution to any class-driven conflict. For here we have a billionaire candy maker leading a fascist military coup with the intent to force, in a most deadly way, all of the working-class to do the corrupt will of all of the rich.

Clever move by Proroshenko, all the more so as it comes the day after the US election, and both Mr Ditz's dog-in-the-manger last sentence and the virulence of the earlier comments suggest that I'm not the only one who thinks that! For some reason, Putin does not want to send his whole rickety conscript army into Ukraine and Proroshenko is calling his bluff. Putin probably hopes simply to "squat" in Ukraine, as he is doing in Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, no doubt enlarging his enclaves slowly until he joins them up and captures the coast. But as he does so, he slowly but surely discredits NATO as a defence mechanism for Europe (thereby consolidating the EU as the sole other alternative!) and discredits the US as Israel's protector, thereby encouraging ISIS to fight on. Thus, if Putin wins, Israel loses. The US elite, and in particular, the Israel Lobby, cannot allow Putin to go on thumbing his nose at the US for long more.

The first shots have already been fired. What remains to be seen however are how much improved are Ukrainian forces? From the appearance in video posted on UTube forces near Donetsk (at Peski), while maintaining an offensive image look disheveled and poorly-organized. You can bet that Kyiv will be holding some 'elite' or security units close in hand to counter any public disorder inn the Capital. Already there have been reports of 'russian saboteurs' arrested and arms caches found in western areas.

If history serves as an indicator, one thing that stands out is that, if they stay in place too long, Kyiv forces become 'magnets' for devastating artillery strikes.

Breedlove is just plain nuts. If it is going to take 30 years to defeat ISIS, how long will it take to defeat Russia? A country with a real army, a real defense industry, and a proven record of wiping the floor with the strongest NATO country (Germany). In any fight with Russia the casualties on the first day will exceed those of Afghanistan and Iraq combined.
Or are we going with the "rotten Russia" theory? Just kick the door in and the whole thing will come down? Didn't work out too well for the last guy that tried that one, or the one before him either.
When does the US decide it has enough on its plate?

There never was a real cease-fire. Shelling by Ukraine junta troops has been continuous since the alleged cease fire went into effect. Fighting over the Donetsk airport has been continuous – the Novorussiya forces control the above ground airport while a handful of junta troops pop up from underground tunnels periodically and get chased back down.

The "surplus store" – as the Russian organized supply column for the Novorussiya forces is called – has been opened wide in anticipation of resumption of fighting, having been shut off for a few weeks during the "cease fire" in order to encourage negotiations.

Make no mistake – Putin will not tolerate a neo-Nazi-led Ukraine. If it looks like the Novorussiya forces are going to be defeated, Russia will intervene militarily – although perhaps relatively "quietly". But it is unlikely that Putin will directly attack Kiev and attempt to overthrow the government. He prefers to wait for the coming Ukraine economic collapse and the resulting overthrow of the Nazis and oligarchs. He will only support the Novorussiya forces to the degree that insures the security of the Donbass region and thus forcing Kiev to recognize the region as an independent region within the Ukraine state.

The Novorussiya military itself would prefer to take back all the Donbass territory and then march on Kiev. But they don't have that capability and Putin will not support them enough to enable that. Putin has no desire to be tricked into occupying a failed state like Ukraine. That could change, however, if the idiots at NATO try to move actual NATO forces into Ukraine – which seems unlikely at this point.